Archive for the ‘Real Estate’ Category

According to a rezoning application submitted to the City, Baker Street Bakery (located at 396 Hopewell Ave) may soon be home to townhomes instead of cakes and tarts! The application reads:

The proposed development is comprised of a combination of stack townhouse buildings, arranged in four blocks. A total of 102 dwelling units are proposed for the site and will consist of 67 one bedroom units and 35 two-bedroom. A private driveway is proposed off Hopewell Avenue which will allow access to the parking level. A total of 110 parking spaces are provided for residents and visitors.

If approved, the townhomes are a further shift from the mainly industrial area that once occupied the area!  I’ll be following the developments of the application for updates in the coming months.   Read the rest of this entry »

Broadview and Danforth, look out… because some Bold neighbours are moving in!  I was driving through the area the other day when I saw sandwich boards up for Bildcrests (think The Swanwick Lofts church conversion in the Upper Beaches) latest development – Bold Towns.

Not much is currently known about the town-homes but judging by the rendering above, it looks like a collection of possibly 14 units.  The Bold Towns will be built on a vacant Broadview Ave parking lot, on the east side just north of Pretoria Ave.  Here’s what many may recognize the site to look like in the past:

Sitting at approximately 3 stories tall, I like the look the towns will add to the area… after all, anything is much better than what’s above!  The strip of Danforth (at Broadview) has really come to life in the past 5 years with Shoppers Drugmart opening up on the north side and a variety of new restaurants setting up shop in the area.  And of course, let’s not forget the accessibility of the area with the Danforth Subway Station and the on ramp to the DVP less than a block away. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for a home with both turn of the century history and new world drama, the Maclean Estate at 7 Austin Terrace is the perfect fit for you!

Sitting on the quite streets of the Casa Loma neighbourhood, The Maclean house was built in 1910 for Mr. John B. Maclean. Mr. Mclean was the founder of The Financial Post, Chatelaine Magazine and most famously – Maclean’s Magazine! He lived in the home for over 40 years until he passed away in 1950.

Of course, Maclean didn’t hire just anyone to build his Georgian Revival styled dream.  Instead, he commissioned the acclaimed Canadian architect John M. Lyle … and yes, that’s the same John M. Lyle who’s other famous projects include Union Station and the Royal Alexandra Theatre.  How’s that for a home with character!

In the last few years the property has been home less notable stories including a feud with it’s new owner and the neighbourhood on it’s historic merits.  The property made headlines when the owner wanted to tear down the home and build a new 3 storey home of their own.  The residents and City fought hard to preserve this piece of Toronto history and in the end won.

Today, the property is being redeveloped by Renaissance Fine Homes (different owners) with a much stronger commitment to preserving the integrity of 7 Austin Terrace.  Characteristics like a gabled roof, dormer windows, wood cornices and brick chimneys will be restorted to give the home it’s historic look.  Of course modern finishes like a wine cellar, heated floors, and underground parking will also be integreated into the homes.  The towns will range from 2,700 sq.ft. to 3,400 sq.ft. each. Read the rest of this entry »

In an effort to sell off the remaining units at 3018 Yonge St, the developers are offering a purchasers the opportunity to buy with just 5% down!  Buyer’s only need to give $2000 at time of signing the offer with the remaining 5% due in 30 days. The remaining 15% isn’t due until occupancy!

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not often that I promote leases on my blog, so when I do, you know it’s going to be a good one!

This spacious suite is located at 380 Macpherson and also goes by the name Madison Lofts. It’s 1 bedroom plus den loft that comes in at about 785 sq.ft. and features two separate marble bathrooms!  It feels much larger with it’s 12 foot ceiling heights and long layout.  From the walkout balcony you can take in the Cities beautiful sunsets as the views are clear to the west… and of course there’s the gorgeous views of Casa Loma from the couch! Not bad for a converted hydro building!

On the main level of the building there’s round the clock security at the front desk.  In the same area you’ll also find a well equipped gym and a party room.  Up-top  is the rooftop terrace that features sun bathing chairs and gas BBQ’s and in the basement there’s ample guest parking.  For the commuters, Dupont Station is literary at the end of the street!

I’m listing the unit for $1950 a month and we’re looking for a minimum of a 1 year lease.  If you or someone you know is looking, feel free to send them my way!

Over the Christmas break I developed a bit of a vice to… well,Vice.com! For those unfamiliar with the name, Vice started out as a Canadian magazine from Montreal back in 94. Today they’re based out of New York City and have over 900,000 readers across 22 different countries (not bad for a bunch of Canadian eh?)

Along with the magazine, they also have a pretty sweet website which boasts some pretty interesting videos.  In fact I first got hooked on to them was while watching a doc they did about life inside North Korea.  It was an amazing look inside the virtually unknown country and a very insightful watch!

I then dug deeper into the website and came across a video about the Motor City aka Detroit!

Even though I’ve never been, the stories of homes selling for less than the price of the cars that were once manufactured there, are all too familiar.  Every news clip I’ve seen in the last 10 years was showing the bad in the City.  Naturally I was intrigued to see Vice hook up with Johnny Knoxville as he spends some time with the people working on bringing Detroit back to life.  Without saying too much more… I present to you “Detroit Lives”

By the time this post see’s the light of day, I’ll be somewhere in the sky between Toronto and NYC…  I’m heading to the Big Apple for a week of sights, sounds and a little creative inspiration!  Whenever I fly, I like to use the time to catch up on a few books in my never ending “must read List”.  For this trip it’s Russell Simmons latest book entitled - Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All… which leads me to this weeks Must Have Monday item!

Let’s face it, as great as our iPads and Kobo’s are, nothing beats the experience of reading a good ol’fashion paperback book.  The problem with these books is that they take up vital storage space in my 50 foot office! But alas, a solution has been found in the form of an iron pipe and a few well placed welded joints.

The Industrial Pipe Bookshelf (pictured above) can easily add some much needed real estate to your space while adding to the cool factor of your room!  The shelf was designed by Stella Blue on Etsy and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes… they even take custom orders.  This one is priced for $146 and can be shipped to Canada. Use the shelf in a hard or soft loft and marvel at your favourite books on display!